Annual monitoring meeting of the women's employment program emphasizes the transformative role of the ILO and the importance of continued training
28 December 2023
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A fourth Programme Advisory Committee Meeting was held in Ankara on 18 December, 2023, serving as a platform for an exchange of views and an assessment of the works carried out in 2023 under the “More and Better Jobs for Women” Programme implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Türkiye Office with financial support from Sweden.
The event was held to evaluate the activities carried out under the Program in 2023, to support the effective implementation and monitoring of the Programme based on suggestions from the Committee members.
The Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the General Directorate of Labour, the Social Security Institution (SGK) and the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR); representatives of the TİSK, TÜRK-İŞ, HAK-İŞ and DİSK Confederations; representatives of the Koop-İş, Öz İplik İş, Öz Çelik İş, Tez Koop İş and Türk-Metal unions; representatives of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Commission on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men; academicians; representatives of NGOs and the private sector; and representatives of institutions that are beneficiaries of/or cooperating with the Programme, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); as well as representatives from the Embassy of Sweden.
Participants at the PAC meeting provided information on how the works of the ILO were reflected in their own organizations, and shared their views and suggestions with regards to ILO works.
The participants stated that while the number of women in leadership roles is low in the social partners, such representation is of functional importance for the social partners, and asked the ILO to prioritize this issue and continue its work to promote women’s leadership in the social partners.
Among the other matters raised by the participants were the expansion of early childhood care and education services, and the provision of decent work to domestic workers in the light of the Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189) of the ILO.
Delivering the opening speech of the meeting, ILO Türkiye Director Yasser Hassan voiced his appreciation of the work being carried out by the ILO’s partner organizations and thanked Sweden for its contributions both at a national and international level.
"In 2023, we have achieved a great deal together in this Programme. Specifically, we have continued our efforts to ensure decent working conditions for women, working in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on the development of gender-sensitive employment policies; and I would like to thank the Department of Employment Policies for their cooperation and support in this regard. I am certain that our cooperation will continue in this direction in 2024.”
“We will continue to work with you to address various issues, such as the care economy, care services, care workers including especially domestic workers, gender-sensitive employment policies, and violence and harassment in the workplace based on ILO Convention No. 190," he said.
Speaking at the event, Nasrin Pourghazian, Counsellor of the Swedish Embassy, said, "A systematic approach to labour rights and decent work for all, including women, is vital for sustainable economic growth."
Suat Dede, Head of the Employment Policies Department of the MoLSS, said that the term of the National Employment Strategy for the 2014–2023 period, which guides Türkiye's employment policies, would conclude at the end of 2023, but stressed that preparatory works for the Employment Strategy for the 2024–2028 period had been initiated under the coordination of the Ministry.
Ebru Özberk Anlı, Senior Programme Officer at the ILO Office in Türkiye, provided information on the “More and Better Jobs for Women Programme”, detailing the activities carried out and progress made to date, and the activities planned under the Programme.
The event was held to evaluate the activities carried out under the Program in 2023, to support the effective implementation and monitoring of the Programme based on suggestions from the Committee members.
The Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the General Directorate of Labour, the Social Security Institution (SGK) and the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR); representatives of the TİSK, TÜRK-İŞ, HAK-İŞ and DİSK Confederations; representatives of the Koop-İş, Öz İplik İş, Öz Çelik İş, Tez Koop İş and Türk-Metal unions; representatives of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Commission on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men; academicians; representatives of NGOs and the private sector; and representatives of institutions that are beneficiaries of/or cooperating with the Programme, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); as well as representatives from the Embassy of Sweden.
Participants at the PAC meeting provided information on how the works of the ILO were reflected in their own organizations, and shared their views and suggestions with regards to ILO works.
"C190, GE, women leadership works should continue"
Representatives of the social partners, the private sector and civil society organizations stressed the importance of transformative role of the ILO’s activities for institutional capacity building. They went on to highlight the importance of the zero tolerance for violence and gender equality (GE) trainings provided by the ILO in line with ILO Convention No. 190 on “Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work”,and suggested that these trainings should be continued.The participants stated that while the number of women in leadership roles is low in the social partners, such representation is of functional importance for the social partners, and asked the ILO to prioritize this issue and continue its work to promote women’s leadership in the social partners.
Among the other matters raised by the participants were the expansion of early childhood care and education services, and the provision of decent work to domestic workers in the light of the Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189) of the ILO.
Social partners working in line with the ILO works
Participating at the event, Pelin Öztürk Yudu, Güldane Karslıoğlu Yeni, Yağmur Açıkalın and Ekin Sarı Akalın representing TİSK, TÜRK-İŞ, HAK-İŞ and DİSK, gave information about the activities carried out by their institutions in line with the works of the ILO, and expressed their readiness to cooperate within the scope of the Programme.Delivering the opening speech of the meeting, ILO Türkiye Director Yasser Hassan voiced his appreciation of the work being carried out by the ILO’s partner organizations and thanked Sweden for its contributions both at a national and international level.
"In 2023, we have achieved a great deal together in this Programme. Specifically, we have continued our efforts to ensure decent working conditions for women, working in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on the development of gender-sensitive employment policies; and I would like to thank the Department of Employment Policies for their cooperation and support in this regard. I am certain that our cooperation will continue in this direction in 2024.”
“Institutional changes are taking place as a result of the work of the ILO”
Hassan stated that the activities being carried out with workers’ and employers’ organizations and the private sector are continuing, and that as a result of these works to date, important institutional changes have been made at a policy level in the statutes and structures of organizations and businesses.“We will continue to work with you to address various issues, such as the care economy, care services, care workers including especially domestic workers, gender-sensitive employment policies, and violence and harassment in the workplace based on ILO Convention No. 190," he said.
“Ratification of ILO Conventions is important”
Stressing the need for legislative action, he said, "I call on the Turkish authorities to ratify such relevant and important ILO instruments as Conventions 190, 156, 183 and 189, which I believe will contribute greatly to Türkiye's inclusive development efforts and are vital for the creation of more and better jobs for women."Speaking at the event, Nasrin Pourghazian, Counsellor of the Swedish Embassy, said, "A systematic approach to labour rights and decent work for all, including women, is vital for sustainable economic growth."
Suat Dede, Head of the Employment Policies Department of the MoLSS, said that the term of the National Employment Strategy for the 2014–2023 period, which guides Türkiye's employment policies, would conclude at the end of 2023, but stressed that preparatory works for the Employment Strategy for the 2024–2028 period had been initiated under the coordination of the Ministry.
"National Employment Strategy includes targets and activities for women's employment."
“The Strategy will be prepared taking into account global developments, the current situation in Türkiye and the transformations that have occurred in working life, and will include targets and actions aimed at increasing the participation of women in the economic and social spheres within the framework of the efforts targeting the promotion of inclusive employment,” said Dede.Ebru Özberk Anlı, Senior Programme Officer at the ILO Office in Türkiye, provided information on the “More and Better Jobs for Women Programme”, detailing the activities carried out and progress made to date, and the activities planned under the Programme.